Month of Service

In alignment with updates to University COVID protocols please note the following updates:

We ask that only Princeton students, faculty, and staff participate in Month of Service 2022.
Staff and faculty who remain on campus and in the testing protocol can take part in all on-campus and off-campus events.
Staff and faculty who are working remotely and not testing, can participate as long as their on-campus and off-campus volunteer activities are for less than 8 hours.
All participants must follow Princeton University's COVID Safety Guidelines and will receive specific volunteer safety guidelines through the Month of Service registration process.

Just Food: Food Access, Equity, and Justice

From January 5-28, 2022, staff, faculty, and students can serve with the community, build skills, knowledge and understanding, and reflect together about the impact of service and civic engagement.

Our theme of Just Food comes from conversations with our partners and the stories in our communities about the longstanding issue of food access, systemic inequalities, and how these needs have been impacted by the pandemic. We are offering a full slate of workshops, service opportunities, dialogues with expert partners, and reflection spaces to help us dig deeper into this issue as a community and work towards sustained change. Staff time spent volunteering at these University-coordinated service opportunities for Month of Service is considered productive work time. As operational needs must be considered, please speak with your supervisor for permission to participate.

Month of Service 2022 is organized by the Pace Center for Civic Engagement and sponsored by the Office of Community and Regional Affairs; Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students (ODUS); the Office of Diversity and Inclusion - Campus Life; the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity; and the Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship (ProCES).

Serving Safely

Month of Service includes opportunities to serve safely with the Arm in Arm, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, and the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry. Participants can also pack supplies for projects supporting local organizations like Anchor House and Send Hunger Packing Princeton. Additionally, we will be running a Blanket Donation Drive through the month with Princeton Mobile Food Pantry.

Our philosophy of service centers the needs of the community, and safety is an integral component in that. To do so we ask that only Princeton University students, faculty and staff participate in Month of Service 2022. Participants should note that:

All participants must follow Princeton University’s COVID-19 Safety Guidelines.
All participants will receive volunteer safety guidelines through the Month of Service registration process and other communications.
Staff and faculty who remain on campus and in the testing protocol can take part in all on-campus and off-campus events.
Staff and faculty who wish to participate but are working remotely and not testing can do so as long as their on-campus or off-campus volunteer activities are for less than 8 hours.

At this time, alumni, friends, and family are no longer able to take part in Month of Service. We appreciate everyone’s flexibility, understanding, and interest.

Engaging at Home

We know that faculty and staff who are working remotely want to take part in Month of Service. There are opportunities for serving no matter where you are. We encourage everyone to attend the Month of Service virtual events like the training workshops and community partner panel conversations:

Volunteer 101
Allyship Through Service
Feeding Families Panel
Cultivating for Community Panel
Month of Service Closing Reflection and Celebration
Use the Community Guide to learn more about community organizations and find ways to donate and engage.
Donate blankets to the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry Blanket Drive by shipping them to the Pace Center. Please use this address:

Geralyn Williams
Pace Center for Civic Engagement
Suite 201D
Frist Campus Center
Princeton, NJ 08544

Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Month of Service registration is on-going throughout the month of January with volunteer opportunities being filled on a first-come first-serve basis. Based upon the University's changes in winter break return dates:

Faculty, staff, and graduate students who have remained in the University testing protocol can attend in-person events and off-campus service from January 5-28.
In alignment with Wintersession, the following processes for undergraduate students are in place for Month of Service as well:
- Undergraduates in continuous housing and in-season athletes who have been on campus over winter break (December 24-January 6) can take part in in-person events and service.
- Any undergraduates who want to participate in in-person events and off-campus service from January 17-28 MUST sign up for a return slot via the form Dean Dolan and Vice President Calhoun sent in their December 27 email to undergraduates.

Explore all Month of Service opportunities and register below.

Upcoming Events

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I sign up?

Princeton students, staff, and faculty can register through my.princeton.edu (use the #Month of Service event tag to find events). Please note that due to the University's updated COVID protocols:

Faculty, staff, and graduate students who have remained in the University testing protocol may register for and attend in-person events and off-campus service from January 5-28.
In alignment with Wintersession, the following processes for undergraduate students are in place for Month of Service as well:
- Undergrads in continuous housing and in-season athletes who have been on campus over winter break (December 24-January 6) can take part in in-person events and service.
- Any undergraduates who want to participate in in-person events and off-campus service from January 17-28 MUST sign up for a return slot via the form Dean Dolan and Vice President Calhoun sent in their December 27 email to undergraduates.

Alumni and family/friends of Princeton can register through emailing Geralyn Williams at gerlaynw@princeton.edu.

How can I serve safely?

All community members taking part in Month of Service must follow the COVID-19 protocols of Princeton University and our community partners.

All volunteers must be masked at all times during service and event opportunities.

Campus members must be vaccinated (with noted exceptions). Non-campus volunteers must be fully vaccinated and fill out visitor forms attesting to their vaccination status. Community partner specific protocols are shared during the registration process.

How can I take part in the Blanket Donation Drive?

You can drop off new blankets at the donation box in the Pace Center’s Frist Campus Center office in Suite 201. You can also bring blankets to any of the on-campus event you attend.

Need help with getting to your service site?

When you register for a Month of Service activity that is located off-campus, you will have access to free transportation to and from your service location through the rideshare app Lyft. After registration, you will receive a separate invitation email with instructions on how to download the Lyft app and redeem the Lyft promo code, valid from 8:00am - 6:00pm to your service location. If you have further questions please email Lydia Owens at lo0405@princeton.edu about Lyft transportation, or Geralyn Williams at geralynw@princeton.edu for other inquiries.

What do the changes to returning from winter break mean for Month of Service?

We ask that only Princeton students, faculty, and staff participate in Month of Service 2022.
Staff and faculty who remain on campus and in the testing protocol can take part in all on-campus and off-campus events.
Staff and faculty who are working remotely and not testing, can participate as long as their on-campus and off-campus volunteer activities are for less than 8 hours.
All participants must follow Princeton University's COVID Safety Guidelines and will receive specific volunteer safety guidelines through the Month of Service registration process.
Graduate students who have remained in the University testing protocol may register for and attend in-person events and off-campus service from January 5-28.
In alignment with Wintersession, the following processes for undergraduate students are in place for Month of Service as well:
- Undergrads in continuous housing and in-season athletes who have been on campus over winter break (December 24-January 6) can take part in in-person events and service.
- Any undergraduates who want to participate in in-person events and off-campus service from January 17-28 MUST sign up for a return slot via the form Dean Dolan and Vice President Calhoun sent in their December 27 email to undergraduates.
All workshops and panel conversations have been moved to virtual formats.

If I am working remotely, how can I take part?

There are opportunities to serve no matter where you are. We encourage everyone to attend the Month of Service virtual events like training workshops and community partner panel conversations.

Everyone is also welcome to donate new, unused blankets for the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry Blanket Drive by shipping them to the Pace Center. Please use this address:

Geralyn Williams
Pace Center for Civic Engagement
Suite 201D
Frist Campus Center
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ 08544

The blanket drive ends on January 28, 2022.